1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a slide apparatus and in particular to a water slide apparatus.
While the invention described in the following is primarily intended as a so-called water slide, it will be appreciated that the slide could be used with or without water, the water being used merely to promote sliding and possibly as a braking medium.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Water slides have become a popular in only the relatively recent past. Such apparatus are usually elongated tubes or troughs following a circuitous path downwardly from an elevated starting platform. A typical apparatus of the above-mentioned type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,733, which issued to B. Whitehouse, Jr. on Mar. 25, 1980. There has been precious little change in the basic design of such water slides since they first became popular The loading areas of water slides often present a problem. The user of the slide is required to move directly from a flat, horizontal platform to a steep chute or trough. Alternatively, the user must step into or seat himself in a tippy conveyance already floating in water. Moreover, in order to ensure that people do not collide on the slide, the attendant or operator of the slide must wait until one rider is at or near the bottom of the slide before admitting another user to the top, inlet end thereof. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that because of the shape of many such slides, the user is not visible throughout much of the ride.